The wisdom of John Stott: 9 quotes from a giant of 20th century evangelicalism

John Stott, who died today in 2011, was one of the great figures in 20th century evangelicalism. A scholar, pastor and preacher, he was revered for his wisdom and statesmanship and influenced generations through his writing and speaking. He placed his formidable intellect at the service of the Church, but found time to indulge his great passion of birdwatching. His work continues today through his books and the work of the Langham Partnership global fellowship.
John Stott died on July 27, 2011, at the age of 90.Langham Partnership International

Here are nine quotes from John Stott's writings.

1. Our love grows soft if it is not strengthened by truth, and our truth grows hard if it is not softened by love.

2. Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it.

3. The truth is that there are such things as Christian tears, and too few of us ever weep them.

4. In countries to which Christian civilization has spread, large numbers of people have covered themselves with a decent, but thin, veneer of Christianity. They have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved, enough to be respectable but not enough to be uncomfortable.

5. Social responsibility becomes an aspect not of Christian mission only, but also of Christian conversion. It is impossible to be truly converted to God without being thereby converted to our neighbour.

6. The overriding reason why we should take other people's cultures seriously is because God has taken ours seriously.

7. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?

8. The Bible isn't about people trying to discover God, but about God reaching out to find us.

9. Christianity is not just about what we believe; it's also about how we behave.

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Revelation 17: The prostitute on the scarlet beast

Let's do some basic preacher training. Christians have a beautiful message, full of love, compassion and gentleness. Those who pass on the gospel message are to be subtle, nuanced, connected and certainly not give any offence. Agreed? But there is something missing from that. It appears that John (or, as we believe, the Holy Spirit speaking to and through him) did not get the right memo.

Revelation 17 is about the most unsubtle message in the whole Bible. Granted, John was not preaching a gospel sermon – but he was telling the troubled and besieged churches about the enemy they were facing. And in so doing he gives us insight into how we are to be the Church in our confused and troubled generation.

The courage of prophetic proclamation

The vision starts with a bang – this is the about 'the punishment of the great prostitute'. Prostitution may be the oldest profession in the world, but that doesn't make it any less horrendous in God's eyes. It is selling what is sacred, our bodies (and souls), for material gain. That is why prophets such as Jeremiah and Isaiah were not afraid to describe the cities of Tyre and Jerusalem as prostitutes.

John described Rome as the prostitute on the scarlet beast

 

 

The angel's revelation about the great prostitute is reflective of that Old Testament prophetic tradition: 'You who live by many waters and are rich in treasure' (Jeremiah 51:13). The revelation is a direct reference to Rome and a challenge to the supreme economic, cultural, political and spiritual power of that city. Rome was beautiful and powerful. It took enormous courage for John, exiled and imprisoned on Patmos by the Roman Empire to refer to it in such a way.

I think there are two lessons for the 21st century Church in this.

First, we need to be prophetic in this radical way – challenging the powers and authorities. I hear so many people who are into 'the prophetic word' and 'hearing a word from the Lord' and yet the word they get is often glib, trite and superficial. It's almost like personal fortune telling – 'Lo, I am with you always and yes, you are going to marry that beautiful redhead, your big toe will be healed and you will get that seed money.' The Holy Spirit is apparently very keen on telling prophets whether someone has a sore leg, but not so keen on calling the prophets to denounce the iniquities of the economic and political systems they live under. Granted, very few of us will be like John, but surely the Church as a whole can have a much more prophetic role? Yes we are to comfort, yes we are to appeal, but we are also to challenge and warn. Rome was the prostitute that was 'drunk with the blood of God's people'.

Second, we need to make sure that we do not indulge in spiritual prostitution. It's a strange thing, but I don't find a great deal in the Bible about atheism. It's there, but not nearly as much as warnings about false religion, idolatry and spiritual prostitution – when we as a Church sell ourselves to the spirit of the age. It's when we follow its idols and morph Christianity into something that it is not. When bishops and priests blessed cannons and tanks on both sides in the First World War, that was spiritual prostitution. When churches gave into the lure of money and backed slavery, or took money from slave traders, that was spiritual prostitution.

And when our current zeitgeist says that killing the child in the womb is fine, or that Jesus's teaching of marriage as between a man and a woman is 'on the wrong side of history' – and the Church meekly follows – that is spiritual prostitution. When we reach out to those who have the most money and spend our time serving the wealthy (paying lip service to the poor at the same time as neglecting them) that is spiritual prostitution. Any idol of our heart that replaces or just seeks to use Christ, leads us into spiritual prostitution. And the Lord hates it. We need the prophets to challenge us – but sadly far too many of us look for our preachers to mollycoddle us and confirm us in our own biases and lifestyles.

The astonishing beast
The beast that causes so much astonishment is both the Empire of the city and the Emperor. Again this prophecy draws on Isaiah:

Awake, awake, arm of the LORD,
Clothe yourself with strength!
Awake, as in days gone by,
As in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
who pierced that monster through?
Was it not you who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
Who made a road in the depths of the sea
so that the redeemed might cross over? (Isaiah 51:9-10)

The beast in Old Testament prophecy was often a sea monster who represented the political powers who sought to oppose God. This was overcome, and will come again. When Nero died the news appeared to be too good to be true. The fear was that he would rise from the dead – but John is telling us that no matter what, 'the beast' is doomed. Likewise with the political systems of our day. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, but the Word of our God goes on forever.

The fulfilment of God's words

The war against the Lamb will never succeed because he is 'king of kings and Lord of lords' (verse14). And his victory is not just his, but that of his 'called, chosen and faithful followers'. Christians are those who are called by God, chosen by God, and faithful to God. And we can be confident because his words will be fulfilled (verse 17).

The battle and the victory belong to the Lord. The anti-Christ and his followers, the great prostitute and the beast, devour one another. Evil by definition destroys. All the forces of Hell cannot prevail against the Church of Christ. Rome, the mistress of the world, versus Christ, the Lamb who sits in the midst of the throne, is no contest!

I have noticed a strange paradox. While we are often quite confident about our own circumstances, and ourselves , we are easily made fearful about what is going on in the wider world. John seems to do the reverse – he does indeed tell us that our circumstances may be dreadful, and that the world is in a deep mess, but he causes us to look much higher and further. This world is not doomed. It is destined for renewal. The whole creation groans and waits for its liberation from bondage to decay and to be brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Romans 8:21).

Sometimes as Christians we need to lift our eyes from our own personal circumstances, and from is going on in our countries and indeed the whole world, and get a grander vision. We look up, as Stephen did as he was about to be stoned to death: 'But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven upon and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God"' (Acts 7: 55-56).  This is the vision we need, individually and collectively – the vision of Christ and his glory. Then, and only then, will be able to rejoice in the midst of trouble. Even though 'the great prostitute is drunk with the blood of God's holy people', they shall rise and she shall fall. Once we grasp this, then, and only then, will we be able to live lives that are full of faith not fear, love not hate, forgiveness not revenge.

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A HEART OF WORSHIP IS ALL GOD'S DESERVE

Have you ever worshiped God that you so feel His presence? have you ever worshiped God that you begin to feel the fire in you? is your worship acceptable to God? are you worshiping God in spirit and in truth?.

John 4:24, "For God is Spirit and those who worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

worshiping God is not just all about murmuring, grumbling, force worship, it is all about praising him, giving Him thanks, blessing His Holy name, Adoring His Majesty, singing to Him like the Cherubim and Seraphim's of Heaven (ANGELS), worshiping the Lord with all thy heart, with all thy strength and with all thy mind.

worshiping Him in tears, in trembling and in fear, have you ever worshiped God that you no longer feel the presence of this world and the presence of the flesh any longer?

when you worship thy Maker, you worship him with a heart full of thanksgiving, a heart full of praise, a heart fill of righteousness and a heart fill of blessing.

The time is now when the true worshipers will worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, don't wait for tomorrow, for it might be too late. Now is the time. remember, A heart of Worship is all your Creator demands.

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Justin Bieber shares Christian message with fans at concert: 'Mark my words Jesus loves you'

Justin Bieber kneels down and brings his hands together for prayer during his 'Purpose' concert in Sydney.

The Word of God has truly touched the heart of Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber, so much so that he makes it a point to spread His message of goodwill every chance he gets.

On Wednesday, the singer, who is a proud attendee of Hillsong Church, shared his faith to over 70,000 people during his "Purpose" concert in ANZ Stadium, Sydney, according to The Daily Mail.

The 23-year-old singer descended onto the stage while inside a transparent box, and in it, he wrote the message: "Mark my words Jesus loves you!!!!"

This was not the first time Bieber turned his concert stage as a platform for the Lord. During a concert in Paris recently, he even sang an impromptu rendition of the Christian song, "I Could Sing Your Love Forever."

Back in 2015, Bieber surprised a reviewer from the Los Angeles Times, who attended his "Purpose" concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Bieber started the show by riding his skateboard to the centre of the arena, then began singing acoustic versions of old and new songs. He then shared a film highlighting each song from his new album "Purpose."

Bieber then shared with his audience the deep love he has for God. "Between the skateboarding and the singing, though, Bieber sat on a stool next to Judah Smith, the man described as his pastor, and more or less preached," the L.A. Times said in its review of the concert.


"He talked about the importance of maintaining a positive spirit and surrounding himself with encouraging people," the review said. "He credited his connection with God for helping him to get back on his feet after a string of widely publicized tabloid troubles. And when a fan in the audience — one of a dozen or so selected by the singer's team for a question-and-answer session — asked if he had any advice on how to get through a romantic breakup, he demurred, flashing a bit of the humility that every religious leader knows is crucial in establishing a bond with one's flock."

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10 things you probably didn't know about studying theology

10 things you probably didn't know about studying theology

1. You will be amazed at how little you know. 
People have been writing Christian theology for 2,000 years, and there is a huge amount of material out there. No one can know everything.

2. Some of what you thought you knew will turn out to be wrong.
When you study theology, you can't just assume what you've always been taught was right: you have to go back to the Bible and to the writings of wiser people than you, and prove it. Sometimes you won't be able to.

3. That can be really hard.
Many people who study theology go through some sort of faith crisis as they realise there are many different approaches to a question they thought was settled. Stick with it; God is faithful.

4. You still need to pray.
Textbooks are wonderful and fascinating, but unless you are an atheist with a purely intellectual interest in the subject, thinking about stuff is only part of your discipleship.

5. You still need to go to church, too. 
Theology doesn't happen in a vacuum; you are still part of a community. If something you're learning in the classroom doesn't 'work' with real people in an ordinary congregation, it probably isn't all that useful.

6. You'll need to specialise (see '1'). It's easy to become a magpie, reading bits and pieces from across different eras and disciplines. 
But real growth comes when you find your passion and immerse yourself in long, slow, deep reading about one thing.

7. Humility is really important. 
Theology is not just an academic discipline, like history or literature. The best theologians don't try to be clever, they try to be faithful and listen to God.

8. It will expand your faith.
Theology is about trying to understand more about how God works in human history, and how we can find ways of talking about him that make sense in today's world. It is exhilarating.

9. It is for everyone. 
When you are talking about a Bible passage in your housegroup, you are doing theology. When we talk about 'theologians', we mean people who have devoted a substantial part of their lives to this. But all Christians are students of God.

10. Books aren't everything.
God is encountered in people, in relationships, in the natural world, in all of human life. If you want to be a better theologian, you will need to be a better and more rounded person, too.

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From Violent Witchcraft To Christ: Young Man's True Story Of Transformation

Emmanuel used to be part of a violent witchcraft gang. His life was transformed through the work of the Bible Society.

A young man has shared of how his life was transformed from one of violent activity in a witchcraft gang to living a new life in relationship with Jesus.

Emmanuel, aged 16, from Congo Brazzaville was once lured into a violent witchcraft gang. At his initiation Emmanuel had to hold a venomous snake and chant strange prayers whilst other gang members cut into his arms "to make him strong," the Bible Society reports.

Emmanuel had been sent to an orphanage at age nine when his mother was too sick with AIDS to support him. At the orphanage Emmanuel was vulnerable and needed somewhere to belong. He was lured into a gang that promised magic powers and super strength found through special mantras and spells.

After initiation, Emmanuel was soon groomed into being a criminal. He was taught how to pickpocket and steal from street stalls. He began drinking and became increasingly violent. As the Bible Society said, "he'd beat up anyone if they had a disagreement."

Everything changed when Emmanuel met Jesus. The Bible Society visited his orphanage to run the Good Samaritan programme. The course uses the famous Biblical parable and interactive workshops to teach young people social values and how to be a "loving caring citizen".

At first Emmanuel was wary of the programme, and watched from the back, listening but not participating. Over time though, he heard more about Jesus, and began to engage more until his life was changed.

"The Good Samaritan showed me how to live differently" says 16 year-old Emmanuel.

"Now my life is very different," he says.

Emmanuel has been motivated by the parable of the Good Samaritan to help more at his orphanage.

"I went to a pastor and talked to him about the things I had been doing. I started praying and reading my Bible."

Emmanuel has now forgone his life of crime. He has cut ties with the witchcraft gang, and prays for them instead. He helps out with chores at the orphanage, teaches other young orphans football skills and serves as a mentor. He now studies hard at school, and hopes to become an accountant.

"I want to tell young people like me to avoid bad things and to accept Jesus Christ." Emmanuel says.

"I have done bad things. I have stolen from people and hurt people. But now I respect people because of Jesus."

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God Is Just: 3 Things God Will Avenge

The Bible says our God is just and that He is the avenger to whom we should entrust the injustices done to us. In Romans 12:17-19 the apostle Paul tells us,

    "Repay no one evil for evil. Commend what is honest in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to God's wrath, for it is written: 'Vengeance is Mine. I will repay,' says the Lord." (MEV)

This passage comforts us with the truth that God will be the one exacting vengeance for all the wrongs we have received. This entails, however, that we totally forgive our offender, release the offence we received unto God, and strive to live a life that glorifies Him by exhibiting Christ-like love and character.

God Sees Injustice

Friends, have you been treated unjustly and are tempted to retaliate? I urge you not to take revenge, for God promised to bring you justice. He saw what happened to you, heard what was spoken to you, and knows what is the best way to deal justice on your behalf. Psalm 94 promises us,

"He who made the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who chastises the nations, shall He not correct? He teaches people knowledge! The Lord, He knows the thoughts of people, that they are a breath."

You see, dear reader, no matter what was done to you, God knows it and will not rest until justice is served according to Him.

Things God Will Avenge

To encourage you to put your trust in God and strive to be Christ-like in heart and mind, know that God sees these wrongdoings and will avenge those who are victims.

1. Injustice
    "Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side— leaders whose decrees permit injustice? They gang up against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide. God will turn the sins of evil people back on them. He will destroy them for their sins. The Lord our God will destroy them." (Psalm 94:20-23 NLT)

Scary but it's true. God does not like injustice and will fight against it.

2. Unpaid Wages

    "Come now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you ... Indeed the wages that you kept back by fraud from the laborers who harvested your fields are crying, and the cries of those who harvested have entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts." (James 5:1,4 MEV)

Unpaid wages and dues do not escape the eyes and ears of God. If you've experienced being denied of what wage or salary that is due to you, God will fight for you. The Lord Jesus Himself said that we should give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God (see Matthew 22:21). We should give to whom it is due.

3. Stopping You From Approaching God

Oh yes, this happens! When a person leads another to sin or simply hinders one from approaching God, he elicits a response from God. We find two accounts of this:

First, through offense or temptation:

    "But whoever misleads one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung about his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:6 MEV)

Second, by hindering or discouraging another from approaching God:

    "One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, 'Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.'" (Mark 10:13-14NLT)

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William Temple, Archbishop Of Canterbury: 10 Quotes From A Spiritual Giant

William Temple (1881-1944) was one of the greatest Archbishops of Canterbury in modern times and has been described as a "spiritual giant". He was a philosopher and a statesman who supported social reforms and defending the working class. He was also a pioneer in the ecumenical movement.

Temple spoke up passionately in the House of Lords in 1943 against the slaughter of the Jews by the Nazis, arguing for their protection to be made a priority and comparing Allied leaders to the priest and the levite who passed by on the other side of the road from the man who fell among thieves. He co-founded the Council of Christians and Jews.

He was also a profound spiritual writer who saw deeply into the heart of the gospel. One of his books was Christian Faith and Life, which reflected on how to live as a Christian in a changing world.

Here are 10 quotes from that book, published in 1931.

1. Remember that Christianity is not, first and foremost, a religion; it is first and foremost a revelation. It comes before us chiefly not with a declaration of feelings we are to cultivate, or thoughts we are to develop; it comes before us, first and foremost, with the announcement of what God is, as He is proved in what he has done.
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2. As soon as the reality of God was an intellectual certainty, there would no longer be any spiritual merit in faith. From the point of view of religion, not only of the Christian religion, faith is something nobler in its own kind than certainty.

3. The Christian conception of God begins with an exaltation of the the Divine Majesty, the greatest the mind can conceive, but when the greatness and the far-reaching power, might and authority of God exhibit themselves for man, it is by washing the disciples' feet.

4. Our duty to God requires that we should, for a good part of our time, be not consciously thinking about Him. That makes it absolutely necessary, if our life is to be a life of fellowship with Him that we should have our times which are worship, pure and simple.

5. We cannot always be thinking about Christ, but we can refuse to dwell on any thoughts which are out of tune with Him.

6. You will find it is not possible for a vivid memory of Jesus Christ and an unclean thought or a mean and treacherous desire to be in your mind at the same time.

7. To choose your career for selfish reasons is a worse sin than, let us say, committing adultery, for it is the withdrawal of the greater part of your time and energy from the service of God.

8. The worst things that happen do not happen because a few people are monstrously wicked, but because most people are like us.

9. Repentance does not merely mean giving up a bad habit. What it is concerned with is the mind: get a new mind. To repent is to adopt God's viewpoint in place of your own.

10. It is not easy to find outstanding opportunities for practising this great virtue of forgiveness. But there are plenty of little ones, and the little ones test us more searchingly because there is nothing heroic about them. It is always easier to do one big heroic thing than a thousand little, obscure things; and that is what it has to be with most of us.

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'What Do You Mean By Crushing My People?' 7 Tests Of Spiritual Fruitfulness

                                      Are you a fruitful Christian? The Parable of the Vineyard.

ARE YOU a fruitful – or fruitless – Christian? What matters ultimately, of course, is God's opinion – but how can we know what he thinks?

That's where a story Jesus tells comes in. The parable of the vineyard (Mark 12v1-12) is about the owner of a vineyard who sends his servants to collect his rightful share of produce. But the vineyard tenants repeatedly turn away the servants, becoming more and more violent towards them. Eventually they murder the final person sent to ask for fruit – the owner's own son.

In this story, Jesus is developing a well known section from the Old Testament in Isaiah 1-5 which portrays God's people as a beautiful vineyard, but bemoans the lack of fruit. While the Bible uses the picture of fruitfulness in various ways, that essential background helps us ask ourselves questions about our own fruitfulness as we consider Jesus' specific words here.

(1) Are we great at 'worship' – but indifferent to the poor? 
In Isaiah 1, God laments the people's many religious festivals, of which he says he is "weary". Rather, he tells them: "Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow." How does that apply to us, to our church and our country?

(2) Is our faith compromised? 
In Isaiah 2, God says that rather than walking "in the light of the Lord" the people are more preoccupied with diviners and soothsayers – spiritual things, for sure, but ones that would lead them astray. Do we, too, change our faith to appease the culture around us?

(3) Are we preoccupied with wealth? 
The Lord then denounces the fact that "their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures". The application of this in consumerist societies scarcely needs stating.

(4) Do we have God-substitutes? 
After that, God speaks of how his people are preoccupied "with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands..." We probably don't worship a physical idol – but quite possibly we sit before the flickering light of our TV or computer screen with more devotion than we do to the Lord.

(5) Are we corrupt leaders? 
The Lord particularly speaks out against "the elders and princes of his people" saying, "It is you who have devoured the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" (Isaiah 3v14-15).

(6) What is our attitude to the homeless?
In Isaiah 5, God denounces "you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no-one but you."

(7) Are we pleasure-seekers or God-seekers? 
The Lord goes on to speak against "you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine... but who do not regard the deeds of the Lord."

It is clear Jesus' words were especially aimed at the those with any spiritual authority (Mark 11v27, 12v1, 12v12), though none of us can ignore the message of this parable.

The response Jesus seeks is not to "try a little harder". As God says in Isaiah 1, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow." Christians know this is achieved not through our own efforts but through Christ, the vital cornerstone of life, and our response to him, (v10-11). The people Jesus addressed were about to make the fatal mistake of rejecting him. We'll think more about this in the next article in this series.

But for now, let's pause and pray: "Lord Jesus when you look at my life, my church, my nation – what do you see: fruitfulness, or sour grapes? Apart from you, we can do nothing. Help us to abide in you, build our lives on you, and seek your fruit in our lives for your glory. Amen."

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3 Things Being A Christian Isn't

Christianity is under attack. One way the enemy attacks is by planting tares among the wheat. We normally interpret this as the real Christians from the fake Christians, with the real believers of Christ being saved and the fake ones being condemned to hell.

This also implies the enemy's subtle tactic of introducing the wrong beliefs, disguising them as real and legitimate doctrines.

I will not talk about doctrine here. I simply would like to correct the wrong perceptions many of our brothers and sisters all over the world have about Christianity. I pray we will all be guarded against the deception of the enemy. Let us not allow ourselves to "be led astray from the simplicity that is in Christ" (see 2 Corinthians 11:3).

Christian Simplicity

Friends, as Christians, we should not get carried away by human teachings that are against the knowledge of God. Our minds should be renewed by nothing less than God's Word, our character moulded into the likeness of Christ, and our attitude as bold as a lion for we are made righteous by Christ's atonement

Knowing these, here are some wrong but widely-accepted ideas about what a Christian should be.

1. A Christian Should Be Tremendously And Overly Nice And Kind

Christians are indeed told to be "harmless as doves" in Matthew 10:16. But in the same verse all Christians are also told to be "as wise as serpents." We are not instructed to become naïve or pushovers, a people who can't even hold their own opinion for fear of driving people away from Christianity. That is a lie!

Jesus was very bold. He drove out all the moneychangers and dove sellers inside the temple because they "have made it a den of thieves." (see Matthew 21:13) He was relentless in putting His Father first, even if the public hated Him for it.

2. A Christian Believes That God Moves In Mystical Ways

I've spoken with and heard of Christians who see the Holy Spirit as some mystical Guy who favours only the "anointed ones," or is someone who works in the shadows without anybody knowing what He's going to do. Hearing them talk about the Holy Spirit is like listening to a video game or a magic story. No, that's not how God works.

In John 15:15, Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I have heard from My Father have I made known to you."

Simply put, if we have a relationship with Him, He will make God's plans plain to us. Why grope in the dark and guess where God moves if you can just ask Him and hear from His Word?

3. A Christian Should Be Scared Of Sin

Oh yes, "the wages of sin is death" alright, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (see Romans 6:23). I know this. Many Christians fear sin because it seems powerful. Yes it is powerful, but Christ has already defeated sin and death, and made a public spectacle of the enemy on the cross (see Colossians 2:13-15).

Knowing this, Christians shouldn't be scared of sin. While care should be given so that we won't sin anymore, we shouldn't fear sin. We should fear God who will judge all sin.

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What We Can Learn From David And Jonathan's Friendship

Friends are blessings to our lives. Depending on the friendship that we have with them, friends are able to motivate us to do better, help keep us in check over many things, and accompany us when we are in need of company and are lonely. Yes, friends are real blessings indeed.

One thing we have to realise about friends, though, is that not all friendships that we make are lasting. Worse, some of them aren't even genuine from the start. But when we have the right kind of friends, we're assured of greater mileage in our lives.

A Biblical Friendship

One such example of the right kind of friendship is the one between David and Jonathan. Their friendship has so many lessons to bring to us, and we should learn from them.

Here are some things we can learn from David and Jonathan's friendship.

1. Real Friends Are Committed To You

In 1 Samuel 18:1-3, we read Jonathan loving David "as his own soul."

    "When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, so that Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not permit him to return home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul."

Jonathan appreciated David and loved him as his own soul. He made a covenant of their friendship simply because he loved him as his own soul. Such a friendship doesn't think about what they will receive in return. Rather, they think of what they can do for the other person and are committed to their well-being.

2. Real Friends Help You Pursue Your Call Even At Their Expense

    "So Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, even his garments, his sword, his bow, and his belt." (1 Samuel 18:4)

Jonathan saw that David was a great man, and that he would be Israel's next king. Think about it: the king's son, not feeling any insecurity or threat at the fact that his friend will be the next king—the legal heir giving way to the young man without any relation to the royal family.

While Saul was angry at David, Jonathan wasn't. He was happy.

    "He said to him, 'Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you. Saul my father knows this.'" (1 Samuel 23:17)

Do You Have Such A Friendship?

Friends, Jonathan was a great friend to David, someone whose love for his friend "was more remarkable than the love of women" or romantic love (see 2 Samuel 1:26). Their friendship was built on sincere and genuine love for a brother—a friendship meant to build one another up.

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